Tiny Talk and the Adventures of Plastic Mommy

Second-hand. Used. Recycled.

What do you feel when you hear each of these words? 'Second-hand' might bring back painful memories of wearing an older sibling's (or cousin's) bell bottoms that were so last year, while 'used' might conjure up images of a slimy car salesman dishing up a lemon for your first car, yet once you throw the word 'recycled' into the mix, the whole mood changes. 'Recycled' has happy vibes, with images of sparkling clean water, green, green grass, and smiling children frolicking in bright sunshine. Truth be told, you are probably thinking that the day you don't buy your kid(s) brand-new off-the-rack clothing is the day you finally accept poverty as your fate. Sadly, this mentality can cause you untold dollars of un-necessary clothing costs as your little ones grow up, especially when they are in the toddler stage of outgrowing everything before it wears out. Today, I'd like you to go back and reformat your perceptions on gently-used clothing. Replace words like 'used' and 'second-hand' with 'recycled.' By purchasing recycled clothing, instead of new items from Big Box Retailers, you'll be saving a lot of green and supporting small businesses run by ordinary moms and dads, like Little Hands Boutique. Want to see how you could save by changing the way you think about second-hand clothing? Check out our Price Wars series:

• Price Check: Why Little Hands Beats Big-Box Discount Stores
• Price Wars 2: Essentials for Your Baby Girl
• Price Wars 3: Why Little Hands Has the Best Deals on Quality Outerwear
• Price Wars 4: A Holiday Showdown

11:53 PM
Categories: kid's clothing, saving money, the Budget Stretcher. Author: AJae

If you've been watching major retailers' new commercials for this holiday season, you might be noticing a theme- X retailer claims to have lower prices than their competitor, with slogans similar to this: "X retailer's prices will save Christmas." But I beg to differ- not only are they over-exaggerating real price cuts, especially when you are looking to outfit your little ones for the holidays, the reality is that the 'savings' you will get from shopping at X retailer(s)...will be practically nothing, because most holiday outfits are a one (or two) time use only item. Let's face it, why should you waste money on pricy little get-ups when your little munchkins will outgrow them long before they get another chance to wear them?

Little Hands has the best deals on holiday dress-up items this season, hands down! (No pun intended.:)

$6.99 (LHB)
$24.99 (BB-R)

Savings: $18

$7.99
$36.00
Savings: 28.01

Total Savings: $46.01

8:29 PM
Categories: Holiday 2008, price check, saving money, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

Jacket and boots season is upon us and if you've been fretting over outgrown coats and jackets, we've got wonderful news for you-this season, give your wallet a break with quality, brand-name gear from Little Hands Boutique. The past two weeks, we've shown in a piece-for-piece match-up that gently used toddlers and infants clothing is often the better deal than the original, full-priced item, and this week will be no different. Little ones tend to outgrow items long before they wear out, so when you shop at Little Hands, you're definitely getting a bargain.

Take, for instance, this boys jacket from a BB-R (big box retailer):

Or, for your little lady:


Next week, we're starting the holiday magic early with a Little Hands-style celebration of how much money you'll saving on your dress-up items for your little ones this season (a.k.a. the "how to have more money for gifts without expanding your credit line" guide). Don't miss out!

10:38 PM
Categories: price check, saving money, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

Last week, we compared three essential items for your little guy's wardrobe in a price check that pitted our prices against various big-box retailers. This week, we're proving that LHB has the best deals for toddler girls, too.

Exhibit A, the cute top:

$2.99, LHB

$16.50, BB-R

(Savings: $13.51)

Exhibit B, her new favorite boot:

$7.99, LHB

$29.99, BB-R

(Savings: $22.00)


Exhibit C, the adorable but durable jean:


$29.50

$4.99

(Savings: $24.51)

Total Savings: $60.02


Coats and outer gear are up for next week's pricing face-off, so to ensure you don't miss any of our budget saving advice, don't forget to hit that subscribe button before you click onward in your online travels today. See you next week!

9:34 AM
Categories: bargain hunting, price check, saving money, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

1. Get ready for cooler weather and save energy costs by making sure your furnace and other appliances aren't inflating your utility bills unnecessarily.

2. Buy in-season fruits and vegetables, and trade in those name-brand toaster pastries for the generic kind. Most brand-name products aren't much better than the grocery store's brand, anyway.

3. Play the money jar game.

4. Cancel all those expensive cable movie packages, and tune in to the basic channels' newest delights. (Psssttt...a little secret-fall's series are definitely worthwhile!)

5. Shop at Little Hands Boutique!

This Baby Togs button-up is only $3.99.

An IZOD zip-up hoodie is $3.99.

2:54 PM
Categories: kid's clothing, saving money, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

I don't know about you, but my life as mom and entrepreneur can get very hectic. Sometimes we forget to make time for things that we know are important. I have been contemplating how to contribute positively to our environmental issues for a while. I guess I was looking to contribute in a big way, not realizing that every little thing I do to help adds up to something big. Our children deserve to live in a great healthy environment. We can all do our part by taking small steps that wont add more stress to our already hectic lives. Here are 5 simple tips to taking Baby Steps to Going Green:

1)Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and few degrees higher in the summer- save money on heating and cooling as well!

2)Install Florescent light bulbs when incandescent bulbs burn out. They are more expensive to purchase, but last much much longer and use less energy saving you money on your energy bill. After replacing my bulbs with florescent bulbs, the very next month I experienced a significant decrease in my energy bill(like $50.00 whoohoo!)

3) Wash clothes in cold water when at all possible. 85% of the energy used to machine was clothes goes toward heating the water.

4)Take shorter showers. If you're like me you love taking long showers, but I guess I could cut it by a minute or two :-)... This will save money on heating and water bills.

5)Skip bottled water- Purchase filters to purify your water, this cuts down on the large amount of container waste. I must admit that this one was a hard one for me. I have cut down, but I have been known to still purchase a bottle here and there...Baby Steps Moms.....Baby Steps.


For more Green Tips visit us daily on myspace. www.myspace.com/littlehandsboutique1

6:35 PM
Categories: green living, saving money. Author: Tiny Talk